BARING THEIR INK

How tattoos define and empower three women in sex work.

Written by Maryam Eldeeb and Ella Colbert

Photographed by Ana Del Rey

Featuring Kitty, Vile, and Lowlita

With 74 tattoos, ever changing hair colors, and distinct, alternative personal style, Lowlita stands out at the strip club.

“I feel like the way I look is why I do somewhat well in strip clubs, because I do look different,” Lowlita said on the LA scene, where conventional beauty standards dominate.

Lowlita, a west coast dancer and OnlyFans model, boasts tattoos all over her body, many of which she gave herself or designed— a stark contrast from when she first started in mainstream porn in 2017. As a teenager with no tattoos, she was defaulted into teen porn categories due to her young appearance and clean-cut look.

Entering the porn industry at a young age, Lowlita found herself having to navigate exploring her own identity while the industry was trying to mold her into its expectations.

“People tried to typecast me, instead of letting me look like myself,” Lowlita said. “So there was a lot of awkwardness, especially being a teenager and not really having a look yet, but experimenting, and then having a whole bunch of old white guys being like, ‘No, you have to look like this.’”

As a young Black girl in sex work, Lowlita felt trapped by the expectations that were placed on her. According to her, she felt pressured by others to embody the “ratchet” Black girl stereotype but didn’t feel that it was true to her earthy and artsy persona. Tattoos were a way to break free, defying how people thought she should present herself.

Vile, a Manhattan-based stripper and musician, elaborated on the concept of categorization within the sex work industry.

“Everyone is put in a box. You’re advertising yourself,” she said. “[At] every strip club, you as a dancer have your own little niche.”

With tattoos down her arm and chopped black hair, Vile is frequently labeled as “alternative” at work. Kitty, a dancer in Manhattan with around 30 tattoos, shares a similar experience– though when she began dancing in Vegas, her arms, which are now covered in a full sleeve of tattoos, were bare.

“I used to be blonde when I first started, and I had a breast reduction, so [before] I was like blonde hair, blue eyes, big titties; ‘America's Sweetheart,’ Kitty said. “And I also was young, and men love that.”

As Kitty’s look evolved, she noticed that clubs wouldn't hire her because of her tattoos and piercings. According to her, most clubs have a preference about the way their dancers should look, with many in New York City leaning towards a more natural and “clean” appearance.

“It makes no sense when clubs have certain rules [about tattoos],” Kitty said. “This is not a corporate job, I’m taking my clothes off.”

Lowlita also noticed a decrease in her porn shoot bookings as she continued to add more ink and lean into an edgier look.

“Not only was I dark-skinned, and they don't really shoot a lot of girls like that, but now I'm tattooed,” Lowlita explained. “It was harder to find work.”

While mainstream platforms were not as open to tattoos, online work allowed Lowlita to lean into her style and continue earning revenue independently. Through sites such as Reddit and Twitter, Lowlita was able to advertise her OnlyFans and sell custom content to a crowd that appreciated her alternative look.

Regardless of their unconventional looks, Kitty, Vile and Lowlita have each found a niche within their industries. The three value their freedom of expression, and would not trade it in to fit an idealized depiction of what a sex worker should look like.

“I honestly do like being myself more,” Lowlita said. “I could have always just killed my ego and chased money… But that's not the kind of ego death I wanted in this industry.”

Kitty believes there is still an equal opportunity for girls to make money at the club regardless of whether or not they have tattoos.

“I really firmly feel like your hustle is what determines the amount of money that you make, not your tattoos,” Kitty said.

Lowlita, Vile, and Kitty all noted that the attention received because of their body art has always been positive and that they are able to use this to their advantage in connecting with clients and making more revenue.

“You just have to be able to be very charismatic, and be able to talk and work the game,” Vile said. “Yeah, everything's looks, but also personality, right? That'll get you far.”

Outside of work, Kitty said that she feels sexier and more confident in herself thanks to her tattoos, treating them as both an accessory and a way to push societal norms.

“It’s cunty,” Kitty said. “It’s not anything to take too seriously.”

Vile echoes this sentiment, saying that she views her tattoos as wearable artwork.They’re a way she displays her creative freedom, both inside and outside of the club.

“I think they make me feel more beautiful because I look at it as something beautiful,” Vile said. “So then, in turn, that kind of helps you do better because you are more confident. When you look good, you feel good.”

Lowita said she is always thinking about her next tattoo and filling any open space on her body.

In her words, “Every time I get a new tattoo, I feel like a god for like three weeks.”